Breaking the cycle of absentee fathers

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Photos:Building better fathers and better men

Top 10 CNN Hero of 2016 Sheldon Smith's Chicago-based Dovetail Project gives young fathers such as himself the skills to be positive role models and responsible parents.

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Photos:Building better fathers and better men

Smith, whose father was in and out of his life, vowed to stick around and care for his own child after a stint in jail.

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Photos:Building better fathers and better men

Smith was inspired in part by President Barack Obama, who spoke in Chicago during his 2008 presidential campaign about the importance of fatherhood.

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Photos:Building better fathers and better men

The project teaches concrete skills, Smith said. "We teach fathers parenting skills. We teach life skills, such as financial literacy. We take the fathers to the bank and show them how to open up bank accounts."

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Photos:Building better fathers and better men

Graduating or earning a GED and supporting a family are important goals within the program, as is modeling positive behavior within the community.

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Photos:Building better fathers and better men

"My goal when I started the Dovetail Project was to break the cycle. My father grew up without having his father around," Smith said. "The young men in the class -- they're seeking their identity because they don't know who they get that identify from."

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Photos:Building better fathers and better men

More than 200 young fathers have completed the program.

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Photos:Building better fathers and better men

The Dovetail Project aims to light the way for young fathers. "Fatherhood doesn't come with a map or a manual," Smith said.

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Story highlights

Sheldon Smith founded a nonprofit to help young fathers become positive role models

"I didn't have any father figure that taught me what being a dad is," Smith says

But Smith is working to change that cyclein his troubled Chicago community. His nonprofit, the Dovetail Project, gives young fathers such as himself the skills to be positive role models and responsible parents.

"Their fathers weren't in their lives," said Smith, 28. "They all went through the same things I went through."

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CNN: What inspired you to help young fathers like yourself?

Sheldon Smith: The summer of his 2008 presidential campaign, President Barack Obama came to Chicago and did a speech about fatherhood. He talked about how fathers need to step it up and be more involved in their children's life.

I appreciated what Obama said because oftentimes people don't actually speak about fatherhood. They talk about education, juvenile justice, employment. But the missing component to a lot of children's lives is fatherhood.

The statistics tell us when fathers are in the household, children are less likely to be involved in very dangerous things, have early teen pregnancy, things of that nature. Having the President come out and make that speech in Chicago pushed me forth in my mission.

CNN: How does your program work?

Smith: The thing that I love most about the Dovetail Project is that it's not a mandatory program. So these young men are really volunteering to get the help and support that they need. We give them the opportunity to talk about the things that are bothering them emotionally, to vent and let those things off their chest and give them advice so they can move forward to be great dads.

We teach fathers parenting skills. We teach life skills, such as financial literacy. We take the fathers to the bank and show them how to open up bank accounts.

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When the fathers complete the program, we help them gain employment or get their GED. It's one thing to give these young men the tools for success. The next step is to give them the opportunity to take what they've learned and actually use it.

CNN: How did your personal experiences influence your approach to the work?

Smith: I was 7 years old when I can remember my father first being incarcerated and going away. I grew up broken. I was a bad kid in school. I didn't have that male role model there and was looking at a lot of other people who were doing negative things and thought that that was the way to go.

My goal when I started the Dovetail Project was to break the cycle. My father grew up without having his father around. The young men in the class -- they're seeking their identity because they don't know who they get that identify from.

Smith, center, uses the Dovetail Project to help young fathers in Chicago become positive role models.

Some of them are coming home from the criminal justice system and looking for a second opportunity. Some just are lost and just really need some guidance and someone to give them that extra push and a hug and some love and support. They are looking for those resources in order to be better men.

CNN: How did fatherhood change you?

Smith: When I had my daughter Jada at the age of 21, I wanted to fulfill something that was still breaking me at that point, which was not having my father around.

I didn't have any father figure that taught me what being a dad is. Fatherhood doesn't come with a map (or) a manual.

I always wanted to make sure that I was there for Jada and that I made sure that she was always in a safe environment and around great people. My daughter is the greatest joy in my life.